Ammunition drum for automatic weapons



Feb. 4, 1964 K. HORN ETAL 3,120,152

AMMUNITION DRUM FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Filed Jan. 19, 1960 larva a v: y;

United States Patent l 3,12s,1s2 All HMUNHTION DRUM FOR AUTGMATHI WEAPGNS Kurt Horn and Heinrich Paschke, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignors to Firms Rheinmetall G.m.l .H., Dusseldorf, Germany Filed Jan. 19, 1960, Ser- No. 3,389 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 20, 1959 '7 Claims. (Cl. 89-33) The present invention relates to an ammunition drum for automatic Weapons. In such an ammunition drum the cartridges are arranged in a spiral coil between the walls of the guiding belt and are fed successively by a spiral spring arranged in the interior of the drum to the feeding members of the weapon.

This type of ammunition drum is either in the form of a cylinder or of a truncated cone. In order that the soldier need not carry the ammunition drums separately, and further in order to stack these better, there were formerly provided special frames, so-callcd drum carriers, in which were inserted several drums and could thus be transported together.

In order that these drum carriers can accommodate several drums, they must firstly be very large and secondly of rugged construction for tactical use. Therefore the drum carriers are comparatively heavy. In consequence the disadvantage of the drum carrier is mainly that the soldier constantly has to carry the considerable weight of the drum carrier. Further the empty drum frame is an additional piece of equipment for the soldier and therefore a considerable restriction of his operational mobility. Particularly disadvantageous in this conne tion is the bulky construction of the drum carrier. Further and in addition to the transport and stacking of the ammunition drums there result considerable manufacturing costs for the manufacture of the drum carriers. It has also been found that removing the drums from the drum carriers in order to connect these to the weapon is circumstantial and time consuming.

It is the object of the present invention to propose a means with which the disadvantages described are completely avoided, and there is achieved, without considerable manufacturing expenditure and additional bulky and heavy equipment, an easy transport and stacking of several drums each.

In order to attain this object it is proposed according to the present invention to provide on both sides of the drum certain coupling elements, e.-g. coupling flanges, in order to effect a locking with the adjacent drum. By the arrangement Clf coupling elements on both front sides of the drum and the interlocking of the coupling elements of adjacent drums, there can be connected any desired number of drums under formation of a carrying unit, so that special carrying frames can be completely saved. The thus formed drum bar can be handled by the soldier at the handle of the middle drum and easily transported in the terrain. Further such drums combined into rods can easily, i.e. like trunks, be stacked on top of each other in longitudinal and transverse layers.

The joining of drums to a drum rod can be effected in very short time because each new drum to be joined is connected 'by a short coupling movement with the last drum only. In order to disconnect the drums the coupling elements can easily be unlocked. For this purpose it is advantageous to form the cooperating coupling flanges of the adjacent drums as rapid closure members. The coupling flanges can co-operate in the form of a slide lock.

A rapid and simple connection of the coupling flanges can, however, also be obtained when the coupling flanges 3,120,152 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 are formed as short interior respectively exterior threaded members and co-operate in the type of a screw thread. Such coupling flanges formed as short threaded members can be manufactured cheaply and insure always a rugged connection of the drums under easy handling conditions.

Further details of the invention are illustrated by means of an example embodying the present invention as shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:

FEGURE 1 illustrates an ammunition drum with coupling elements according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a number of drums joined into a carrying unit and FIGURE 3 illustrates a further embodiment for storing respectively carrying the drums by means of coupling elements according to the invention.

In the ammunition drum 1 the cartridges for the automatic weapon are arranged in spiral row. In the firing position a filled drum each must be connected with the weapon (not shown). When the cartridge drum has been emptied by firing, it is to be disconnected from the weapon and substituted by a new filled drum. Each drum is provided with a handle 2 to permit easier handling when connecting and disconnecting the drums. This handle is fastened at the casing of the drums. In order to obtain a better guiding of the cartridges the drums are formed cylindrically, but may also be in the form of truncated cones.

As shown in FIGURE 2 several drums are according to the invention connected to a drum row, so that the soldier need not carry the drums independently at the handles 2. Theretor each drum is provided at its frontsides 4 and 5 with coupling elements in order to effect the locking with the adjacent drum. These coupling elements consist of the flanges 6 and 7. In order to permit a positive connect-ion of the filled or empty drums for trans-port or better stacking within the shortest possible time, the co-operating coupling flanges 6, 7 of the adjacent drums are formed as rapid closure members. The coupling flanges 6, 7 co-operate according to the embodiment as shown in the type of a screw thread. Each coupling flange consists of a short thread member. The coupling flange 6 provided at the drum side 4 in this case is provided with an interior thread and the coupling flange 7 arranged at the drum side 5 is provided with an exterior thread adapted to fit Within the interior thread. Since therefore all drums comprise on the one side an interior thread flange 6 and on the other side the exterior thread flange 7, the danger of confusing the thread members upon screwing the drums together is avoided, and any desired connection of the drums on the one or the other side of the drum row becomes possible.

When single drums are to be united into adrum row, the soldier carrying the drum to be connected at the handle 2, can move this drum to the thread flange of the adjacent drum without lowering or regripping the drum, and can screw on this drum to the last drum by only rotating the handle 2, the drum rows thus formed by the connection of the drum can be easily gripped and transported by the middle handle 2. The disconnection of one drum from the drum row is effected by gripping the handle 2 and rotating the same in the opposite direc tion. After effecting the disconnection of the drum the handle is already in the hand of the soldier, so that he can immediately connect the drum to the weapon. In order to make the rotation angle upon screwing on or disconnecting the drum as small as possible, the thread flanges 6, 7 are formed with multiple threads. In consequence the drums can be positively connected upon rotation of an angle of to a maximum angle of The coupling arrangement as proposed according to the present invention can be produced particularly inexpensively when the thread flanges 6, '7 are pressed from sheet material. These thread flanges can be manutfactured as special parts and connected with the drum body by means of rivets or by welding.

A particularly appropriate embodiment results, houever, when the coupling flanges 6, '7 are worked out of the drum material itself. The connection of the drums, i.e. the rotational movement required, can be facilitated by arranging the coupling flanges 6, 7 in the center of the longitudinal axis of the drum. The screw connection formed by the coupling flanges 6, 7 can further be secure-d by a spring lock (not shown in the drawing) or another form-closed lock.

FIGURE 3 shows a further possibility for storing or transporting the drums by means of the coupling flanges 6, 7 as proposed. When several coupling flanges, e.g. the coupling flange '7 with exterior thread are fastened at a wall 8 or at other carrying elements, the drums 1 or complete drum rods can be screwed into the coupling flange 7, and in consequence suspended from the wall 8 or other carrying elements. Such an arrangement of the drum rods, e.g. at the ceiling or walls of a military veliicle, is of considerable advantage on account of rapid availability and easily elfected disconnection of the drums. When the carrying elements do not have a sufficient surfaw area for the arrangement of the opposite flanges 7, these can be provided with carrying sheet materials or carrying profiles for fastening the counter flanges. Such a drum holding device cannot only be arranged at locally fixed Weapons, like e.g. armoured vehicles, but the counter flange 7 can also be provided at the belting or uniform parts of the soldier himself.

The invention proposed is not restricted to the embodiment as given. It is for example possible to form within the scope of the present invention the coupling elements, which are provided on both sides of the drum in order to effect the locking with the adjacent cap, in the type of a T-shaped groove or dove tail connection. In this case the insertion movement restricted by abutment can also be secured by a spring lock or other locking device.

There further is the possibility to fasten the coupling flanges 6, 7 not only at the two front sides 4, 5 of the drum, but also at the drum casing 3. It is also possible to provide the coupling flanges at the drum casing only.

What We claim is:

1. Ammunition drum for automatic weapons comprising a coupling flange projecting on opposite sides of the drum each outwardly directed to effect a locking of adjacent drurns as rapid assembly members, the coupling flanges each being screw threaded, the coupling flange of the drum on one side being provided with interior threads, and the coupling flange on the opposite side of the drum being provided with exterior threads so that the interior thread flange will interfit on the exterior thread flange, the flange with the interior threads being larger in diameter relative to the flange with the exterior threads.

2. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which the coupling flanges are made of sheet material.

3. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which a handle member is secured to a casing of each drum. so that the drum is suspended thereby.

4. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which a special carrying element is provided for the suspension of the drums and in which counter flanges are provided in the carrying element for connection to the drums.

5. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which the coupling flanges are each screw threaded in the form of a multiple thread.

6. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which the coupling flanges are connected to their respective drums by welding.

7. Ammunition drum according to claim 1, in which each coupling flange is stamped out of the material of its drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 607,681 Cochrane July 19, 1898 769,615 Kosansvich Sept. 6, 1904 2,557,881 Shapiro June 19, 1951 2,836,323 Robinson May 27, 1958 2,975,930 Pennington et al Mar. 21, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 8l7,235 France May 24, 1937 

1. AMMUNITION DRUM FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS COMPRISING A COUPLING FLANGE PROJECTING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE DRUM EACH OUTWARDLY DIRECTED TO EFFECT A LOCKING OF ADJACENT DRUMS AS RAPID ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, THE COUPLING FLANGES EACH BEING SCREW THREADED, THE COUPLING FLANGE OF THE DRUM ON ONE SIDE BEING PROVIDED WITH INTERIOR THREADS, AND THE COUPLING FLANGE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DRUM BEING PROVIDED WITH EXTERIOR THREADS SO THAT THE INTERIOR THREAD FLANGE WILL INTERFIT ON THE EXTERIOR THREAD FLANGE, THE FLANGE WITH THE INTERIOR THREADS BEING LARGER IN DIAMETER RELATIVE TO THE FLANGE WITH THE EXTERIOR THREADS 